Energy Consumption and Buildings

Buildings account for over 40 percent of total energy use in the U.S. – more than either the transportation or industrial sectors. Over one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions come from the building sector. Most buildings waste energy needlessly. Improving building codes can help invigorate our construction industry, drastically reduce energy consumption and carbon pollution, and save Minnesota families and businesses money in their energy bills.

Energy Codes

Building codes set minimum standards for acceptable building practices, helping protect individuals from substandard living and working conditions. Energy codes address the energy efficiency of those building systems, and typically apply to areas of constructions such as wall and ceiling insulation, window and door specifications, HVAC equipment efficiency, and lighting fixtures.

Model codes are created by groups of experts, such as the International Code Council (ICC), and then are adopted on a state by state basis. The most commonly adopted energy codes are versions of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards. These codes are updated every three years to reflect new advances in information, technology, and building techniques. The most recent versions are the IECC 2012 and ASHRAE 90.1-2010. The IECC 2012 is roughly 30 percent more energy efficient than the IECC 2009. Currently, there is a national initiative through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for states to adopt energy code equivalent to IECC 2009 and ASHRAE 90.1-2007, and achieve 90 percent statewide compliance by 2017. All 50 states, including Minnesota, have received funding to achieve this goal.

Where is Minnesota’s Energy Code?

The current Minnesota State Building Code was adopted in 2007 and applies statewide. The energy code is roughly equivalent to the IECC 2006 for residential and ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004 for commercial buildings. The last scheduled code update as required by state law was skipped, but presently the Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) of Minnesota is in the process of the adoption of a new statewide code, right on schedule.

Money for businesses and families

Energy efficient buildings reduce utility bills and put money back into consumers’ and companies’ pockets.

• Updating to the most up-to-date residential energy code [1] would result in estimated savings of $284 to $346 a year for an average new house in Minnesota at recent fuel prices.
• Upgrading to the most recent commercial energy standard could result in around 11 percent energy cost savings for non-residential commercial buildings [2] in Duluth, MN.
• Costs savings [3] from high-performance buildings (public and private) and improved building codes across 23 states could contribute to over $8.5 billion cost savings by 2020.

How does Minnesota’s code compare to other states?

Minnesota’s current energy code does not include the most efficient or up-to-date versions of model codes available. Several Midwestern states have updated to more current codes and standards, which contain several major improvements in energy efficiency.

MIDWESTERN STATES WITH BETTER BUILDING ENERGY CODES

Moving forward

The current lag in the building construction industry provides the perfect time to move toward adopting stronger building codes. Currently the State of Minnesota is in the process of adopting a new statewide building code, and Fresh Energy staff serve on the Commercial Energy Code committee and as an interested party for the Residential Energy Code committee. We are working with interested organizations and community leaders to ensure that updates will produce significant energy savings for Minnesotans. Follow the progress of the committees using the links above.

Have an energy efficient building project? We’d love to share your story! Contact Alison Lindburg.

Energy Code Resources

Improving building codes can help invigorate our construction industry, drastically reduce energy consumption and carbon pollution, and save Minnesota families and businesses money in their energy bills.